The thin line of gold behind every tap, swipe, and click on our electronic devices rarely enters daily conversation, yet the metal keeps digital life running, then eventually turn into landfills full of toxic e-waste. 



From the contacts in a phone jack to the chips inside a smartwatch, gold moves electrons smoothly and shrugs off corrosion. 



Mining more, however, blasts mountains, drains rivers, and spews carbon. With the global appetite for electronics still climbing, attention has turned to the growing junkyard of cast‑off gadgets.



E‑waste is now the quickest‑rising waste stream on the planet - roughly 63 million short tons in 2024 according to <a href="https://www.unep.org/ietc/what-we-do/e-waste-management" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations estimates</a> - and only a small share gets recycled in certified facilities. 



Most of our old electronics end up in landfills or backyard workshops, which then leak metals into the groundwater, creating toxic brews. A cleaner strategy is to reclaim precious metals safely before our devices make their way into the garbage heaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cheese-e-waste-and-gold">Cheese, e-waste, and gold</h2>



A research team is now working to change that script. Professor Raffaele Mezzenga at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a> and senior scientist Mohammad Peydayesh assembled colleagues in search of a simpler tool than acid vats or cyanide baths. Their unlikely inspiration bubbles up in cheese factories.



Cheese makers separate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cottage-cheese-is-making-a-comeback-due-to-its-nutritional-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">curds from whey</a>, leaving behind nearly nine pounds of watery by‑product for every pound of cheddar. Whey is rich in proteins that twist into hair‑thin amyloid fibrils when warmed in acid. 



The Zurich group realized those fibrils could be coaxed into a feather‑light sponge that prefers gold over the other metals lurking in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electronic-waste-is-growing-five-times-faster-than-recycling/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shredded phones and laptops</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adding-a-cheesy-twist-to-golden-e-waste">Adding a cheesy twist to golden e-waste</h2>



The researchers stirred the fibrils into a gel, then dried it into an aerogel - think Styrofoam’s airiness on a nanoscale. Microscopic pores criss‑cross the material, offering miles of surface area inside a crumb‑sized cube. 



When a slice of this sponge meets a beaker filled with dissolved circuit boards, gold ions rush toward the proteins and cling tightly.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_schematic_credit-ETH-Zurich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_schematic_credit-ETH-Zurich_1s.webp" alt="Schematic route followed to generate neat value via pure gold, extracted from food waste (whey) and e-waste as starting source materials. Credit: Advanced Materials" class="wp-image-1968796"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Schematic route followed to generate neat value via pure gold, extracted from food waste (whey) and e-waste as starting source materials. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Advanced Materials</figcaption></figure>



Early trials showed the aerogel collecting a far higher share of gold than plastic resins that recyclers often use. Better yet, the process skips noxious solvents. 



Water, moderate heat, and the natural chemistry of protein do the heavy lifting, which slashes both hazard and cost.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aerogel-and-a-protein-sponge">Aerogel and a protein sponge</h2>



For a head‑to‑head laboratory test, the team stripped metal parts from twenty <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-day-of-zero-waste-a-global-commitment-to-a-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discarded computer motherboards</a>, dissolved them in acid, and dropped in a fingernail‑sized piece of aerogel. 



Copper, nickel, and cobalt swirled in the brew, yet gold ions settled on the sponge far more efficiently. After a short soak, the solution cleared, signaling that most of the precious metal had left the liquid.



Numbers tell the story. The sponge drew out gold that was about 90.8 percent pure - close to 22‑karat jewelry - on its first pass. Competing adsorbents usually require extra purification steps to reach similar purity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-e-waste-ions-to-gold-nuggets">From e-waste ions to gold nuggets</h2>



Pulling ions from solution is useful; turning them back into solid metal is crucial. The Zurich group warmed the loaded sponge until the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fools-gold-may-be-a-valuable-source-of-lithium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold ions</a> shed their charge and merged into shimmering flakes. 



Heating continued until the flakes fused into a nugget weighing roughly 450 milligrams. Chemical analysis showed the lump was 91 percent gold and 9 percent copper, again hitting the mark for 22 carats.



This step also freed the protein skeleton. Burned away under controlled heat, the whey‑derived matrix leaves no synthetic residue, easing cleanup. Conventional resin beds cannot claim the same neat exit.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_gold-nuggets-recovered_Credit-ETH-Zurich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_gold-nuggets-recovered_Credit-ETH-Zurich_1s.webp" alt="The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimeters wide. Credit: ETH Zurich/Alan Kovacevic" class="wp-image-1968794"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimeters wide. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ETH Zurich/Alan Kovacevic</figcaption></figure>



Recycling lives or dies on the balance sheet. Here the math looks encouraging. 



Procurement and energy costs for the entire operation are about fifty times lower than the market value of the gold retrieved. Even after accounting for labor and overhead, that margin hints at solid profit for commercial recyclers.



Lower operating costs open doors for smaller regional plants. Instead of shipping obsolete electronics overseas, communities could process them nearby, cutting transportation emissions and keeping revenue local.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-e-waste-has-more-than-just-gold">e-Waste has more than just gold</h2>



Gold steals headlines, yet the technique need not stop there. By tweaking pH or tailoring the protein structure, the same sort of sponge could sort copper, cobalt, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-captured-on-video-forming-out-of-thin-air-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">palladium</a> - metals vital for batteries and sensors. 



The team is already experimenting with pea‑protein waste from plant‑based milk production and collagen from fish scales. Success would guard against supply bottlenecks tied to a single dairy stream.



E‑waste is not the only target. Industrial rinse water from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computer-defeats-a-supercomputer-in-crucial-annealing-optimization-task/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microchip fabrication</a> and gold‑plating shops also carries trace metals worth reclaiming. A modular protein sponge could slip into those lines, trimming costs and curbing runoff.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taking-the-next-steps">Taking the next steps</h2>



“The fact I love the most is that we’re using a food industry byproduct to obtain gold from electronic waste,” Mezzenga says. In a very real sense, the method transforms two waste products into gold. “You can’t get much more sustainable than that!”



If pilot projects scale as hoped, tomorrow’s recycling centers may sit beside creameries and food processors, quietly turning yesterday’s whey and last decade’s gadgets into tomorrow’s circuit traces. 



The approach will not halt mining overnight, but every recovered ounce delays a blast, a slurry pond, or a diesel haul truck. 



That shift, multiplied across millions of phones and laptops, offers a straightforward path toward lighter footprints and longer‑lived resources - no new mountains required.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202310642" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Materials</a>.



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Invention turns our electronic waste into 22-carat gold nuggets instead of toxic trash

The thin line of gold behind every tap, swipe, and click on our electronic devices rarely enters daily conversation, yet the metal keeps digital life running, then eventually turn into landfills full of toxic e-waste. From the contacts in a phone jack to the chips inside a smartwatch, gold moves electrons smoothly and shrugs off corrosion. Mining more, however, blasts mountains, drains rivers, and spews carbon. With the global appetite for electronics still climbing, attention has turned to the growing junkyard of cast‑off gadgets. E‑waste is now...

Sometimes the consequences of climate changing and a warming environment may not be very obvious. In this case, they may be hiding out of sight, inside the bark of the trees within our forests. A new study has found that over the next few decades, increases in winter temperatures caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-facilitate-spread-diseases/">climate change</a> could significantly extend the range of the southern pine beetle, which is one of the planet’s most aggressive tree-killing insects. The southern pine beetle’s range used to be from Central America to the southeastern United States, but in roughly the last decade they have begun to show up in northern forests of the Northeast and New England.

The range of this insect is generally curtailed by annual extreme temperature lows. However, these lows are rising a lot faster than average temperatures, which could result in the beetle’s spreading faster than previously predicted. The study’s authors predict increases in annual minimum air temperatures of 6.3 to 13.5 degrees Fahrenheit across the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada by 2050 to 2070.

What are the consequences of this spread? “We could see loss of biodiversity and iconic regional forests,” says Corey Lesk, lead author and a graduate student at <a href="http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>. “There would be damage to tourism and forestry industries in already struggling rural areas.” Infested forests may also be at risk to dry out and burn, causing property loss and even loss of life, as well as emitting large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

The researchers predict that by 2020, the southern pine beetle will have an established territory that extends up the Atlantic coast and into Nova Scotia. They further predict that by 2080, suitable climates for the beetle could extend to 71 percent of red pines and 48 percent of jack pines, which stretch across more than 270,000 square miles of the northeastern United States and southern Canada.

In the southeastern United States, pine beetle infestation have cost an estimated $100 million per year in timber losses from 1990 through 2004, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

It should be noted that although the researchers incorporated 27 different global climate models in their study, the paper did not address some uncertainties. For example, the possibility that cold extremes could change more dramatically than climate models suggest, which may occur if atmospheric circulation patterns or snow cover shift in unpredictable ways. Another question is how these beetles will respond to droughts or heat waves, as well as new predators.

In the southeast, land managers have already been using adaptive strategies to combat the spread of these beetles – with limited success. These strategies include thinning of forests where tree density is high, and removal of infested trees. If the southern pine beetle’s range continues to grow, northern forests may have to adapt these strategies as well – and hope that they work.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Kevin Krajick/Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Climate change could drive deadly beetles to northern forests

Sometimes the consequences of climate changing and a warming environment...

Earthquakes can be sudden and terrifying, causing massive amounts of damage. But it’s often the earthquake aftermath – tsunamis, fire, flooding, landslides and more – that is the most devastating, a new study shows.

Researchers from the Geophysical Institute at the <a href="https://www.kit.edu/english/">Karlsruhe Institute of Technology</a> looked at 100 disastrous quakes between 1900 and the present day, including the calamitous 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, 1960 Chile earthquake, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 2005 Kashmir earthquake, and 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. 

Secondary disasters in the earthquake aftermath are responsible for a vast number of quake-related deaths, the scientists said.

“Earthquakes have caused over 2.3 million fatalities since 1900 in 2,233 fatal events, with many of these coming through large, infrequent events,” the researchers wrote in their study, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2017.00030">Frontiers in Built Environment</a>. “In fact, since 1900, 59% of these fatalities have occurred in just 10 events.”

They found that the most destructive earthquakes – and those with the largest loss of life – are often followed by one or more “secondary disasters.” Tsunamis, fires, soil liquefaction, landslides, fault ruptures, flooding and other disasters in an earthquake aftermath can add hundreds or thousands of casualties and millions of dollars of damage, the researchers discovered.

They also examined what they called “tertiary effects,” such as epidemics or starvation caused by infrastructure damage, flooding or other primary and secondary quake-related disasters.

“Tertiary effects could include cascading effects such as the primary effect of an earthquake causing a secondary effect in the form of a tsunami which damages a nuclear power plant, and then a nuclear disaster develops,” they wrote.

Some of the secondary disasters – tsunami and fire, for example – are more likely to contribute to loss of life. Others, such as landslides, are more often financial disasters.

“Quite often for smaller events, landslides deliver a great amount of the clean-up cost, and indeed sectoral losses. Infrastructure, such as roads, is particularly vulnerable to landslides and secondary effects, often causing much of the damage,” the researchers wrote.

The researchers hope that their analysis can help develop better predictive models of what to expect in an earthquake aftermath. 

“As improved models for secondary effects of earthquakes continue to be created and better collection of loss statistics occur, the reanalysis of historic events should allow for scenario-based current and future effects of potential earthquake secondary effect cascading events to be analyzed, but also a potential check of the historical impacts,” they wrote.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Photo credit: Arnold Genthe, April 1906

Earthquake aftermath can cause more devastation than the quake itself

Earthquakes can be sudden and terrifying, causing massive amounts of...

Access to safe drinking water is a worldwide issue, and efforts to ensure clean water for everyone are especially thwarted when aquifers and groundwater are found to contain high levels of dangerous contaminants. 

Much attention has been paid to testing arsenic levels in groundwater, and those numbers are heavily monitored by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA). The EPA and<a href="http://www.who.int/"> World Health Organization</a> (WHO) work to make sure that arsenic levels are kept below 10 parts per billion, as anything above those levels is deemed unsafe for human consumption. 

But now, a new study from the <a href="http://www.ucr.edu/">University of California-Riverside</a> tested groundwater wells in the US and Asia to see if manganese levels were at all a cause for concern, and if they should be as heavily monitored as arsenic by the EPA. Currently, the EPA does not list manganese as a contaminant on their National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, but manganese is toxic in large amounts. 

Samantha Ying from the University of California-Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences led the study that looked at manganese levels in 16,000 wells in Cambodia, China, Bangladesh and the Glacial Aquifer which runs through many northern states in the US. 

The researchers collected data from the wells by testing different levels of depth, or depth stratification. Ying and her colleagues discovered that manganese levels in many of the wells were above the WHO’s recommended amount. 

One particularly interesting finding was that at deeper levels, the amounts of arsenic increased, but manganese levels were higher at shallower depths. Factoring in both arsenic and manganese levels combined, the number of contaminated wells by WHO standards increased drastically.

For example, 9.3 percent of wells that connect to the Glacial Aquifer are contaminated with arsenic, if you include manganese levels, the percent of contaminated wells is 16.4%. 

In the Yangtze River Basin in China, 19% of the wells are contaminated with arsenic, but that number skyrockets to 88% when you include manganese levels. 

Excluding the testing of manganese levels, which has been linked to neurological disorders, could be detrimental to the health and well-being of the populations that depend on well-water that has only been deemed safe considering arsenic levels. 

“Due to increasing knowledge on the detrimental impact of manganese on human health, particularly on children, manganese levels in these sources should be monitored more closely and governments should consider introducing manganese drinking water standards,” said Ying.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Unsafe levels of manganese found in major drinking water sources

Access to safe drinking water is a worldwide issue, and...

“Read the documents. Go ahead, you really should.” These are first words in a <a href="http://www.exxonmobilperspectives.com/2015/10/21/when-it-comes-to-climate-change-read-the-documents/">statement </a>published by former Exxon Mobil VP Ken Cohen in October 2015. The oil and gas giant was trying to combat allegations that they had covered up the findings of their extensive research into climate change to protect their financial position and stop any government meddling. 

Kohen claims that they had done nothing of the sort, that their public stance on climate change completely agreed with their scientists’ findings. Instead, Kohen accused journalists who had discovered evidence to the contrary of “cherry picking.”

Following the link in Cohen’s published <a href="http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/shareholder-archive/supporting-materials">statement</a>, you will see a compiled collection of pdfs, letters, memos and presentations. 

In Cohen’s case, you should be careful what you wish for, because the challenge he posed to the public was accepted by <a href="http://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard</a> researchers Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes. Supran and Oreskes ended up collecting data from nearly 200 Exxon Mobil documents and papers by Exxon scientists. 

The researchers then compared and analyzed these documents with Exxon’s public position on climate change through advertisements in the New York Times. 

The study found proof that Exxon Mobil purposely mislead the public on climate change to avert any government restrictions that would be costly to their company. The researchers found scientific data from Exxon that discuss the very real consequences of burning fossil fuels and adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

But the researchers also point out that Exxon’s public position was one of doubt and opposition to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-lakes-consistent/">climate change</a> science. For example, one 1997 article from Exxon Mobil states, “'Let's face it: The science of climate change is too uncertain to mandate a plan of action that could plunge economies into turmoil.” 

The Harvard study claims that the company has been purposely misleading the public since the 1980s. If Mobil’s advertisements had reflected a more honest comparison to their scientific findings. they might have boosted public and government support for accepting the negative effects of climate change.

Currently the company is standing fixed in their position that there was no malice or misinformation on their part, and claims this study, like the reporting previously, is false and an egregious display of inaccurate and preposterous allegations. 

Exxon Mobil’s internal documents and scientific studies are still available on their website, so you can still, as Cohen suggested, “read all of these documents and make up your own mind.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

ExxonMobil misled the public on climate change for decades

“Read the documents. Go ahead, you really should.” These are...

A new study may have solved the mystery of why fish are becoming smaller. The research found that fish could shrink by as much as 30 percent if ocean temperatures rise two degrees Celsius, which is predicted to happen by the middle of this century.

Many scientists have suggested that fish are shrinking due to rising ocean temperatures, but they could not explain the connection. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> have a hypothesis that sheds new light on this phenomenon.

“Fish, as cold-blooded animals, cannot regulate their own body temperatures,” said co-author Dr.William Cheung. “When their waters get warmer, their metabolism accelerates and they need more oxygen to sustain their body functions. There is a point where the gills cannot supply enough oxygen for a larger body, so the fish just stops growing larger.”

Lead author Dr. Daniel Pauly explained that as fish get older they need more oxygen to support a bigger body mass. The gills, however, do not grow as quickly as the rest of the body. This biological rule, which Dr. Pauly refers to as the “gill-oxygen limitation theory,” confirms that fish will continue to shrink with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-trees-weapon-climate-change/">climate change</a>.

Making matters worse, the amount of oxygen in the ocean decreases as temperatures warm up. Fish will have access to less oxygen at a time when they require more due to increased metabolism rates. 

“As the oceans warm up, their bodies will do so as well,” explained co-author William Cheung “Higher temperature within the scope that the fish can tolerate generally increases the rate of biochemical reactions in the fish’s body and thus increases their body metabolic rate.”

Bluefin tuna and sharks will be among the species that are impacted the most. For example, Atlantic bluefin tuna are expected to decrease in size up to 30 percent with a rise in ocean temperatures by two degrees Celsius.

The researchers say that shrinking fish will affect fisheries production and disrupt marine ecosystems. They explain that reducing carbon emissions is the best solution to this problem.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change causing fish to shrink in size

A new study may have solved the mystery of why...

On June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-decision-paris-climate-agreement/">announced</a> that the United States would be withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. Why was this such earth-shaking and bewildering news to most Americans? Well, the Paris Agreement – also known as the Paris Climate Accord – is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that aims to resolve issues with greenhouse gas emissions and climate change as a whole. One of the key parts of the agreement is an acknowledgement of the need to keep global warming below 1.5°C above preindustrial levels in order to avoid catastrophic consequences.

Roughly 71 percent of Americans support the Paris Agreement, which begs the question: why did Trump decide to withdraw? 

The <a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/">Center for Biological Diversity</a> is attempting to answer that exact question, submitting Freedom of Information Act requests on August 23rd in an effort to obtain public records from three federal agencies that may help to show why the Trump administration made this decision. 

Requests were sent to the Department of State, EPA, and Office of Management and Budget, seeking all reports and memoranda that the administration used to make the decision to withdraw. This also includes any related emails, telephone logs, and notes from meetings involving Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and other administration officials.

“We need to know if Trump put any real thought at all into this profoundly dangerous decision,” says Clare Lakewood, a staff attorney at the Center. “Withdrawing from the Paris agreement isolated America by highlighting this administration’s reckless contempt for our planet’s future. Americans have a right to learn how Trump officials were influenced by scientific ignorance and fossil fuel industry lobbyists.”

The next United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Germany in November. In the meantime, any information that shows how such a shocking decision was made would be welcome to many American citizens.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Group challenges reasons for Paris Agreement withdrawal

On June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that the...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/still-deny-climate-change/">climate change</a> continues to drastically affect air temperatures, weather patterns, sea levels, salinity, forests, and water resources, one type of natural resource seems to remain stubbornly unaffected. According to a new study led by Samantha Oliver, a graduate student from <a href="https://limnology.wisc.edu/">UW-Madison's Center for Limnology</a>, lakes have stayed surprisingly consistent despite all of the other rapid environmental changes. 

Oliver and her team collected data on nearly 3,000 lakes in the US from 1990 to 2011 to analyze changes in water quality, algal growth, and nutrient levels in plants. The researchers found that the water quality of the lakes was pretty neutral throughout the years, despite a warming planet and many growing economies. 

“Despite large environmental change and management efforts over recent decades, water quality of lakes in the Midwest and Northeast U.S. has not overwhelmingly degraded or improved,” said the study. 

Oliver and the researchers make a point to state that the study doesn’t necessarily conclude that the lakes analyzed weren’t completely unaffected climate change, as there were still trends in algal growths with blooms occurring in some lakes more frequently. Instead, Oliver discusses that the study could have two possible conclusions depending on your viewpoint. 

On the one hand, the fact that the majority of the lakes studied were not widely adversely changed through the years could point to successful efforts of the $3.5 billion dollars the US spends each year on hindering algae growth. On the other hand, with so much money being spent annually, you might expect to see a more positive trend in the lakes instead of having no real changes recorded in water quality. 

“It’s a glass half full, glass half empty thing. Some people say, 'Whoa, the management must really be doing something,' and the other half of them say, 'That's really depressing, our management hasn't done anything. We need to do so much more,” said Oliver.

One thing Oliver is certain of is that if any change is going to happen, starting locally just simply won’t cut it. Oliver used the Gulf of Mexico’s Dead Zone as an example. The Dead Zone was caused by fertilizer runoff from the Mississippi in the Midwest, which is why so many environmentalists urge local farmers and governments to take action. Oliver counters this theory by arguing that the problems are happening on a global scale and need a global mindset to fix them. 

“While we like to focus on 'our' particular lake or stream, each one is different. How the whole population of lakes and streams, and ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico will respond to things like climate change or government policies can only be figured out by looking at the bigger picture of the thousands of lakes and rivers across the U.S,” said Oliver. 

Oliver’s study raises important questions about the effectiveness of government programs and spending to hinder adverse environmental problems, and will hopefully encourage further global efforts.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

As climate change alters the environment, lakes stay consistent

As climate change continues to drastically affect air temperatures, weather...

A groundbreaking new film exposes how human activities are pushing marine ecosystems to the point of no return. Filmmaker Julia Barnes captured underwater images all over the world to show that Earth’s oceans are in a state of emergency for the documentary <a href="http://www.seaoflifemovie.com/">Sea Of Life</a>.

Barnes points out that the ocean is home to 80 percent of all life on the planet and it provides most of the oxygen that we need to survive. “It is the heart and lungs of our planet, and it is in trouble,” says Barnes.

50 percent of the world's coral reefs have become a casualty of climate change, and they are predicted to go extinct. Barnes had difficulty finding a healthy coral reef to film, and so she turned to experts in Australia to find out why the “world's most biologically diverse ecosystems" are vanishing.

Sea of Life examines how some species of corals are sensitive to changes such as light and temperature, and they start bleaching as a response. But there are more resilient species of corals which are not as sensitive to light and temperature, and they are now dying as well. The experts say this is due to ocean acidification.

Massive amounts of carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean are causing significant changes in the water known as ocean acidification. According to the film, the chemistry of the ocean is changing 10 times faster than it has at any time in the last 50 million years. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the ocean has become 30 percent more acidic.

For as many as four decades, the oceans will continue to become more acidic from Co2 that has already been emitted. Rob Stewart, creator of the documentary Revolution which inspired Barnes’ mission, explains that we not only need to slow down carbon emissions but also pull existing carbon out of the atmosphere. 

Marine life is suffering as a result of fishing pressure as well. The documentary states that all species of large fish have been depleted by 90 percent. Out of all the top predators in the ocean, 87 percent are in a state of decline, and over a third of these declining populations have collapsed.

Sea of Life reveals that bluefin tuna are down by 96 percent and are still being fished. Because they are so rare, there are tuna worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and fishermen have become even more relentless to capture them. 

Climate campaigners insist that industrialized fishing must be stopped. Many people also blame the livestock industry for contributing to the devastation of marine populations due to the fact that oceans are being strip-mined to feed non-human animals. Currently, more fish are consumed by pigs than by sharks.

“There's this illusion still, it goes way back, that the ocean is so big and so vast that nothing we can do can harm it,” explains Dr. Sylvia Earle. She says that we are now seeing firsthand that “the ocean is not to big to fail, and if it does so do we.”

Many scientists believe that we are in the middle of Earth’s sixth mass extinction, which is an event where more than half of the planet's species are lost. The current event is referred to as The Anthropocene, or the age of the humans, because it has been triggered by human activities. We will lose half of the species on Earth by 2100 at the current rate of industry.

Despite the bleak forecast, ocean conservationist Fabien Cousteau says that the story doesn't have to end sadly. Cousteau suggests that if we give nature time to heal, new life can emerge. “Although the world of the oceans has changed quite drastically over the last few decades, it can change for the better over the next few decades,” says Cousteau.

Barnes also remains optimistic. “We have an opportunity right now to tackle the biggest problem the world has ever faced, and I think we are going to do it,” says Barnes. “Every living thing on Earth is in jeopardy, every species we love, every ecosystem we depend on. Now that we know what's going on it is our duty not just to do something, but to do everything in our power to turn things around.”

Sea of Life is available to <a href="https://vimeo.com/ondemand/seaoflife">rent or buy</a> now.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth.com movie review: Sea of Life

A groundbreaking new film exposes how human activities are pushing...

Oil, gas, and fracking wells are a huge contributor to methane emissions, second only to the cattle industry. According to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">EPA</a>, in 2015, oil and gas operations contributed to 29 percent of the United States’ methane emissions overall. There are millions of active wells worldwide that are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-cardiovascular-disease/">polluting the air</a>, contaminating the soil, affecting ground water, and in turn, heavily impacting populations that live in close proximity to them. 

A new study from researchers at the <a href="https://www.psehealthyenergy.org/">PSE Healthy Energy Institute</a>, <a href="http://berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a>, and<a href="https://www.hmc.edu/"> Harvey Mudd College</a>, is the first of its kind to closely track and record how many people live within a harmful distance of active oil and gas wells, along with the health risks associated with those conditions. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, discovered that an estimated 17.6 million people live within one mile of an active oil or gas well in the United States.

Living that close to oil operations puts people at higher risk of cancers, increased asthma and respiratory problems, heart and neurological problems, and there is a higher likelihood of being hospitalized. The research also found that living within a mile of oil and gas wells can create adverse birth defects, smaller babies, and a higher risk of preterm births. 

The study aimed to target the pollution caused by oil and gas wells and its effects on the health of those residents within close proximity to operations. 

“Our study was specifically designed to determine how many Americans have increased health risks from potential exposure to pollutants emitted from oil and gas development,” said Eliza Czolowski, lead author of the study. 

Czolowski and her colleagues also found that the type of the drilling or oil production did not matter, as both fracking (a method of extracting oil and gas by using highly pressurized sand, water and chemicals) and conventional oil and gas wells generate the same pollutants.

This innovative and expansive study shows the costly ramifications of living in close proximity to active oil and gas wells. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Millions who live near oil and gas wells exposed to pollutants

Oil, gas, and fracking wells are a huge contributor to...

The realities of climate change are felt with increasing severity each year. We have seen record breaking heat waves in parts of Europe and Asia, increased carbon emissions, rising global temperatures, and rising sea temperatures. But the timeline for implementing policies to help reverse these potentially catastrophic effects is getting shorter and shorter. But now, Mark Z Jacobson from <a href="https://cee.stanford.edu/programs/atmosphere-energy-program">Stanford University's Atmosphere and Energy Program</a>, along with 26 of his colleagues, have created a global roadmap to transitioning 139 countries to using 100 percent renewable energy sources by the year 2050. 

Not only will these changes reduce pollution and help stave the effects of climate change, but according to Jacobson, there is potential for the creation of  millions of new long term jobs. 

"Aside from eliminating emissions and avoiding 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming and beginning the process of letting carbon dioxide drain from the Earth's atmosphere, transitioning eliminates 4-7 million air pollution deaths each year and creates over 24 million long-term, full-time jobs by these plans," said Jacobson.

The roadmap and the corresponding research has been published in Cell Press’s new journal Joule. 

The research looked at 139 of the world’s 195 countries and specifically focused on energy consumption and each country's electricity, transportation, heating and cooling, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-climate-change/">agricultural industries</a>.

Jacobson’s plan has been criticized for its exclusion of nuclear power, “clean coal,” and biofuels. Nuclear power has proven to be costly and risky to operate, not to mention the hazardous waste buildup from nuclear power plants that of yet have no set long term disposal places. Biofuels and coal are also not as eco-friendly as wind, solar, and water energy because of their high pollution rates. 

This plan is not the first of its kind as Jacobson is expanding on a 2015 study that looked at transitioning all 50 states to renewable energy and the mitigating challenges and costs that would have to be factored in to make it a reality. 

Naysayers of Jacobson's plans also point out the enormous costs of transitioning so much of the world to renewable energy, but Jacobson counters this by showing the higher costs that will result in following a business-as-usual model and not doing anything to hinder carbon output. 

"Both individuals and governments can lead this change. Policymakers don't usually want to commit to doing something unless there is some reasonable science that can show it is possible, and that is what we are trying to do," says Jacobson. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

By 2050, 139 countries could be powered by renewable energy

The realities of climate change are felt with increasing severity...

The largest near-Earth asteroid scientists have ever tracked will pass by the planet on September 1st, 2017. Asteroid Florence will safely dodge the Earth at a distance of 4.4 million miles, or over 18 times the distance from the Earth to the moon. While <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>'s preliminary measurements indicate Asteroid Florence spans 2.7 miles, radar images captured during the event will reveal its actual size.

Paul Chodas is the manager of NASA's <a href="https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/">Center for Near-Earth Object Studies</a> (CNEOS) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

"While many known asteroids have passed by closer to Earth than Florence will on September 1, all of those were estimated to be smaller," said Chodas. "Florence is the largest asteroid to pass by our planet this close since the NASA program to detect and track near-Earth asteroids began."

The relatively close path of Asteroid Florence will give scientists a rare opportunity to study the asteroid. The massive rocky body is predicted to be an ideal target for radar imaging, which will take place at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldstone_Solar_System_Radar">NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar</a> in California and at the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5652">National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory</a> in Puerto Rico. The resulting images will show surface details as small as 30 feet.

Asteroid Florence was named after Florence Nightingale in 1981 when it was discovered by Schelte "Bobby" Bus at an observatory in Australia. The 2017 event will be the closest encounter this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-killed-dinosaurs-worst-place/">asteroid</a> has had with Earth since 1890, and it will not come this close to the planet again until after the year 2500.

In late August and early September, Florence will brighten to the ninth magnitude, making it visible in small telescopes for several nights. The illuminated asteroid will move through several constellations including Piscis Austrinus, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Delphinus.

According to NASA, radar has been used to observe hundreds of asteroids. This provides scientists with data to study an asteroid's size, shape, surface features, roughness, rotation, and orbital path.
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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Massive asteroid will pass by Earth on September 1st

The largest near-Earth asteroid scientists have ever tracked will pass...

Production of myelin is crucial to neural development and the structural organization of white matter. Myelin is the fatty white substance that surrounds some nerve fibers or axons and helps insulate the nerve fibers as they send signals to and from neurons and other cells. Now, new research has shown that sensory rich experiences and new environments can play a positive role in the development of white matter and enhance myelination in children.

Myelination is the process of producing the sheath-like insulation for axons (nerve fibers). Without enough insulation, the nervous system cannot work properly, and many developmental disorders can be traced back to defects in white matter formation and myelin integrity

Thomas A. Forbes, lead author of a report published in the journal Trends in Neurosciences, discusses a crucial  “feedback loop,” wherein a pool of cells known as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells make myelin through childhood and adolescence, and the oligodendrocyte cells work in tandem with the axons.

Forbes and his fellow researcher discuss myelination in conjunction with the beneficial effects that sensory rich environments have on young developing brains. 

“The strength, duration and timing of environmental experience influences plasticity in brain circuitry, which is made up of communication cables called axons that link neurons throughout the brain and are coated by myelin, a fatty substance that helps nerve impulses speed from place to place,” says Vittorio Gallo, the study’s senior author and Chief Research Officer at <a href="https://childrensnational.org/">Children's National Health System. </a>

Sensory rich environments can help cognitive development through a variety of ways. Enriching a child’s environment through exposure to new objects and surroundings and interactions with new people and playmates has been found to increase volume and length of myelinated fibers and boost total brain volume. 

Other sensory rich activities that can boost <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-pollutant-dioxin-alters-brain-development/">brain development</a> include listening to music, active learning, and physical fitness. These positive impacts are further evidenced by the negative effects that poor nutrition, neglect, and social isolation have on basic motor skills and cognitive function and in turn myelin structure. 

The research shows how important an enriched environment is to brain development for infants and children, and offers important information for finding therapies and treatments to enhance white matter health. 

“An enriched environment not only involves the opportunity to move and participate in physical exercise and physical therapy; it is also an environment where there is novelty, new experiences and continuously active learning. It is equally important to minimize social stressors. It's all about the balance,” said Gallo. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Vibrant environments can help white matter development in kids

Production of myelin is crucial to neural development and the...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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